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May 2017 operating session (Part 3 – Jameston images)

Moving back over the border and into South Australia, the third set of images from the most recent operating session on the Border District are all from the branch line terminus location of Jameston. Inspiration here is drawn from a combination of the actual towns of Millicent and Kingston in the south east, as well as Jamestown in the north of the state.

Jameston’s biggest “reason for being” is the Apcel Paper Mill, located at the western end of the town (and taking cues from the actual location of Snuggery). Above, one of two trains that work the mill each weekday – South Australian Railways Train Number 263 Goods (returning as SAR TN 264 Goods) – can be seen shunting out empty Victorian Railways’ open wagons and replacing them with ones loaded with briquettes (used as source of fuel to power the mill). The working also includes swapping empty louvre vans for ones loaded with toilet paper and other paper products. SAR TN 264 Goods will hand over the empty briquette opens and loaded paper vans at Tatiara Downs. From here, they will be worked back to Melbourne on Victorian Railways TN 90 Goods.

Facing the opposite way to the lead image but taken not long after, the station, yard and other industries at Jameston can be seen in the above picture. The orange workers’ sleeper in the centre of the image is being worked backed on SAR TN 264 Goods “inside” the Goods Brake – not surprisingly provided today by the ubiquitous 8300 van. Iain has already collected the sleeping van from the carriage siding and is clearly paying equal attention to both breaking up SAR TN 263 Goods and making up SAR TN 264 Goods.

Below, it is action a plenty at Jameston, with not one but two trains … yes, this doesn’t happen that often! A single Bluebird railcar (255 – “Curlew” – with thanks to the amazing Peter Carter!) is working SAR TN 541 Passenger service as it arrives at Jameston, while English Electric 907 waits at the head of the loaded SAR TN 582 Stonie for Osborne/Port Adelaide. The handful of passengers on the Bluebird will endure the ground level platform and dual gauge tracks here, before the railcar works back to Tatiara Downs and Naracoorte as SAR TN 542 Passenger. Upon arrival at Naracoorte, the single 250 railcar will join with the 250 railcar and 100 trailer combination from Mount Gambier, before continuing to Adelaide. It would appear that the photographer hasn’t been as quick on the shutter as he would have liked, with there being no “gap” between the Bluebird and 900 …